BBC Appoints Sara Cox as Radio 2 Breakfast Host Following Scott Mills Dismissal

The BBC announced that Sara Cox will replace Scott Mills as host of Radio 2's breakfast show, with her first program set for this summer. Cox currently hosts the station's teatime show, a role she has held since 2019. The BBC stated it will announce a replacement for the teatime slot later.

Scott Mills was dismissed by the BBC on March 27 after the organization received new information related to a police investigation into alleged historic sexual offences. The investigation, which occurred between 2016 and 2019, involved claims of offences between 1997 and 2000 with a boy under 16.

No charges were filed due to insufficient evidence, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

had hosted the breakfast show for 14 months before his dismissal. He stated that he cooperated with the police investigation and chose not to comment further on the matter. Gary Davies has been hosting the show temporarily since Mills' departure. Sara Cox, 51 and originally from Bolton, stated she was taking over the breakfast show.

She has previously hosted other Radio 2 programs, including Sounds of the 80s and a late-night show, and filled in on the breakfast show during Chris Evans' time. Cox also hosted the Radio 1 breakfast show in the early 2000s.

2's breakfast show is a prominent program, though the mid-morning slot hosted by Vernon Kay has been the UK's most listened-to since 2019, following Ken Bruce's tenure. Before her current role, Cox took over the teatime slot from Simon Mayo in 2019.

She has presented BBC TV shows such as The Great Pottery Throw Down and Between The Covers. Helen Thomas, Radio 2 chief, stated that Cox would connect with the breakfast audience through her approach. Cox raised £11.5 million for Children in Need last year by running the equivalent of five marathons over five days.

She will be the second female host of the show, after Zoe Ball, with Sir Terry Wogan holding the longest tenure of over 28 years. The BBC noted it became aware of the investigation into Mills in 2017, but recent information led to his dismissal. Mills' statement acknowledged the dismissal without addressing the allegations directly.

Channel 4 removed a Bake Off episode featuring Mills following the events.